


What Lies Below

by MaevynRaven



Category: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (Cartoon), She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Kipo And The Age Of Wonderbeasts, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn, Trans Female Character, Useless Lesbians, trans!Catra
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28725612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaevynRaven/pseuds/MaevynRaven
Summary: Adora and Catra grew up together in a burrow, training under Shadow Weaver, who is working to find a way to remove all mutes from the surface and pave the way for humanity to return. A discovery is made that drives a wedge been Adora and the person she cares about most.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	What Lies Below

**Author's Note:**

> I make Catra trans in most of my works because I’m a trans girl and I love seeing people like me in characters I write or read. I don’t know how important it will be to the story yet. A lot of the plot ideas I have could be metaphors for being trans in a hostile environment, but I will tag any possible transphobia that comes up, if it does at all. Also, Rogelio is a human in this, because it just fit the plot better.

_ October 28th, 2208. _

_ Somewhere belowground, just beneath the surface… _

Adora’s bare feet padded on the ground as she ran, tiny legs carrying her along with surprising speed. Stalactites hung high above her, alight with the faint blue glow of silkworms. She ducked and weaved between the feet of passers-by, occasionally bumping into a leg and hastily apologizing before continuing on her way. She had a mission, and her eyes were locked on her destination: Shadow Weaver’s lab. 

The distance between the small foster home and the research department of the burrow was not particularly large, but Adora was only 5, and was still getting a hang of the whole “coordination” thing. Eventually, though, she arrived at the familiar sight: a rectangular unit of buildings set wall-to-wall to one another, painted a clinically sanitary white, with windows looking out into the rest of the small subterranean town. Adora jogged over to the sliding doors, where a slight whirring noise accompanied them automatically opening at her approach. She had always wondered how the doors knew you were coming. She had thoroughly examined the walls of the lab for peep-holes where potential lookouts could be sitting in wait to push a button, but had found nothing but cold, smooth plaster. 

“Wipe your feet, Adora!” came the voice of the clerk at a nearby desk. Always a stickler for the rules, she stopped to carefully scrub the dirt off onto the mat, and cleaned her hands with sanitizer without even needing to be asked. Then she was off again, this time at a brisk walk. She passed a few adults dressed in white lab coats, who smiled down at her or gave her a small wave. Though she knew the way well, Adora still whispered the names of the rooms she passed to herself as she walks. 

“Blue Diamond chamber… Pink Ruby… Green Emerald... Ah! Black Garnet!”

She reached up a hand to stroke the gem embedded into the wall before entering. She saw the familiar shape of her mentor, Shadow Weaver, standing over a desk with papers sprawled over it, leaning against her hands. 

“Good morning, Dr. Weaver!” Adora recites, slightly stumbling over the gap between her teeth as she speaks. Shadow Weaver’s voice is dry and crackly, and Adora always thought it sounded like the creaking of the few wooden beams that could be found in the burrow. She never vocalized this observation of course, but she couldn't help it flashing through her mind as Shadow Weaver speaks. 

“Ahhh, Adora. You’re here early today. Excellent.”

Shadow Weaver turned and placed a hand on Adora’s cheek. Her fingers were chillingly cold and slightly grey, with rough calluses and long nails. Shadow Weaver wears a blue disposable mask at all times, and Adora had never seen her whole face before, but she could recognize those bloodshot olive green eyes anywhere. She stands up straight, obediently looking up at her teacher. Shadow Weaver moves back, removing her palm from Adora’s face.

“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. Come, sit.”

She gestured over to a low-set chair in the corner, Adora’s usual spot. Shadow Weaver usually has her arranging files, meticulously sorting information and filing it away in the tall cabinet that stands against the wall. Occasionally, she will share a fact or two about the subject she is researching that particular day, which Adora always looks forward to. She was the only kid in her home to have already learned to read, and she adored combing through books at the library. Her favorites were always books about astrology. Adora always dreamed about seeing the stars. Sometimes she would pretend the glowworms were actually constellations, drawing lines between the pinpricks of light above her. Shadow Weaver doesn’t seem to be in the sharing mode today though, silently working on something Adora was too short to see. She follows suit, tongue between her teeth as she begins sorting the files by the colored tabs Shadow Weaver sticks on them.

She allows herself to become fully immersed in her job, and lets time slip away as she repeats her task over and over. Most people would find it tedious, but Adora never minded. This was her opportunity for her mind to race, imagining infinite possibilities while her hands moved on their own.  _ That’s why you’re special,  _ Shadow Weaver had once told her. She had completely zoned out like normal, which is why she nearly missed the hesitant knock on the doorframe. She turned over her shoulder and saw a man she vaguely recognized, holding what appeared to be an applesauce crate. Adora stood up, getting on her tiptoes to try and see what the box contained. The man looked worried, and sounded slightly out of breath when he spoke.

“Sorry for the interruption Dr. Weaver ma’am. But it’s kind of important. Our surveillance cameras detected movement outside, and when we had a scout poke around, they found this.”

  
He gestured the box slightly to indicate what he was talking about.

“I fail to see how this is any concern of mine,” barked Shadow Weaver. The man is visibly sweating, clearly nervous about talking to Dr. Weaver. Adora noticed that reaction a lot from people. Instead of answering with words, the man simply placed the box on the floor and stepped back. Adora craned her neck in, and gasped at what she saw: fur.

Fur wasn’t the only thing. Two eyes, filled with fear and red from crying were poking out from a massive mane of dark brown hair. Adora instantly noticed that they were two different colors: one was a chilling blue, and the other was a warm gold. The effect of staring into the both at the same time gave Adora an odd feeling. She tuned out the adults’ continued conversation as she crept towards the box. 

When she reached the side, whatever,  _ whoever  _ was inside scrambled back, hissing at her approach. Adora could see two tiny fangs poking out of her mouth. Adora put her hands on the wall of the crate, moving to sit on her knees. The ball of fur stared at her cautiously. Attempting to establish herself as a friend, Adora broke out into a wide smile.

“Hi there! I’m Adora. What’s your name?”

The fluffball didn’t move for a long moment, before slightly dipping its head forward, staring down Adora intently. 

“Do you… have a name?”

Adora receives a slow blink. 

“It’s okay if you don’t! I can give you one. Hm… How about Elizabeth? I read that name in a book once!”

The mane shakes from side to side, which Adora can only guess is a no.

“Alright then. How about… Catra? See, this box says “Catrina’s Farm” on it. We can shorten it down to be unique!”

There is a pause, and then Catra nods. 

“C-Catra.”

Her voice is a tiny squeak, as if she had never spoken before. Slowly, carefully, Catra moves forwards to sniff one of Adora’s hands. Adora’s eyes widen as she realizes there are two fluffy cat ears poking out of her fur. She laughs out loud when the girl turns to rub her cheek against her hand. Shadow Weaver’s hissed conversation stopped as she glanced down at them.

“Adora! Get back from that… thing! It’s not safe!”

Adora jumped at the sudden loud noise, and Catra immediately hissed and descended back into a ball, small hands covering her head. Shiny, black claws were poking out of the tips of her fingers.

“She’s not a ‘thing.’ This is Catra!”

“You gave it a name?”

“Why do you keep calling her an ‘it’?”

“Because. That’s a  _ mute! _ ”

Adora glanced back to Catra, who was still hunkered down, shaking in fear. She looked back up to Shadow Weaver with resolve.

“She’s nothing like the mutes you’ve told me about. They’re all dumb, bloodthirsty creatures who can’t reason or think. Catra’s clearly a person!”

“She isn’t. Look at her. She’s been  _ corrupted _ . This is some science experiment gone wrong that someone clearly didn’t want and shoved on our doorstep.”

Adora was angry now. She very rarely became angry, but she couldn’t understand why Shadow Weaver couldn’t see what she saw. Clearly Catra was shy and scared, but she was still a person. Adora shifted her small body between Shadow Weaver and the crate, holding her arms up protectively.

“I won’t let you take her away.”

She did her best to look intimidating as she stared Shadow Weaver directly in the eye. Shadow Weaver took a long moment to just look between Adora and Catra, before sighing.

“I suppose her DNA could be useful for pursuing a cure. Fine. She will stay. But if she gets into trouble, and I mean  _ any _ trouble, it will be on your head. Are we clear?”

Adora burst back into a grin and nodded excitedly. 

“Yes ma’am!”

She immediately turned her attention back to Catra, who was once again peaking nervously over the walls of her box. Adora extended a hand. Catra looked at her, then up at Shadow Weaver, then down at her hand. Slowly, she reached out her own and slid her fingers into Adora’s, who giggled at the brush of fur against her skin. For the first time, she saw Catra give a slight smile. Adora slowly guided her out of the box and onto the floor. 

“C’mon, I can’t wait to show you everything! We’ll get you new clothes, look, like my jumpsuit! See, we have the emblem of our burrow on the back! And I’ll show you the library, it’s my favorite, there are so many pictures of stars in there! Do you know what stars are? Oh, and you can sleep in my bed if you want! I don’t know if we have any spares at home. Hold on, what’s that?”

Adora’s tirade slowed as she noticed something tucked in the bottom of the applesauce crate. She leaned down to pick it up. It was metal, in the shape of an M, painted a deep red color. It looked like a headpiece, though it would clearly be quite a while until either of them grew into it. She offered it to Catra, who took it carefully, eyeing it up quietly. Adora scooped up the blue blanket lining the box before guiding Catra by the hand towards her new home.

* * *

_ January 14th, 2221. _

“Adora? Hey, Adora!” 

Adora blearily opened her eyes, blinking slowly. There was a significant weight on her chest, and she could see Catra peering down at her, head tilted slightly. She was already ready for the day, metal headpiece secured on her forehead and dressed in her normal black and red clothing. She extended her hand, which Adora took, pulling herself into a sitting position and yawning. 

“Are you okay? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sleep in in your life. Are you sick?”

Adora rubbed a hand through her hair, before pulling a hairband off her wrist and pulling it up out of her eyes.

  
“Yeah, guess I was just tired. Pretty sure I stayed up working on that project until 4am at least.”

Catra stuck a claw into Adora’s hair the moment she let her hands fall away.

“Well, you got your dumb hair poof up without any trouble, so you’re probably fine. C’mon. Get ready before Shadow Weaver has our asses for being late. I don’t need any more reasons for her to hate me.”

She tried to pass it off as a joke, but Adora could see her ears drooping slightly and her tail swish uncomfortably. Adora rose and dressed herself as quickly as possible, nearly tripping over her own legs in the process. Catra let out a mocking laugh, and Adora drank in the sound. Catra’s voice was beautiful, but her laugh was somehow even moreso. Adora had always loved the way she would sometimes let out squeals when she laughed particularly hard. 

“What are you smiling about over there, dumbass?”

Adora flushed, instantly unsure of what to say.

“Um, I uh, I just remember a joke. Yeah, a science joke. You wouldn’t like it, it’s just some ‘nerd shit,’ as you like to call it.”

  
Catra rolled her eyes.

“Alright then, keep your secrets. Just hurry up.”

She casually tossed the small bone she had been picking her teeth with into the sink. Cooking for Catra was tricky, as she could mostly only eat meat. The occasional vegetable or grain she could handle, but dairy was a huge no-go. They had learned that quite fast. She mostly ate the blind fish that could be found swimming through the underground river that split the burrow in half. Adora wondered how she never got tired of having the same fish for most of her meals, but Catra didn’t seem to mind. Grabbing a ration bar to go, Adora gave Catra a nod and the two of them headed out of their cramped home.

  
  


The HRT training facility was located on the opposite side of the burrow from the residential section, so Catra and Adora had to speed walk to arrive on time. Catra didn’t seem to be in the mood for chatting and kept speeding ahead of Adora. Despite her shorter legs, Catra had always been naturally faster than Adora could ever match. She made up for it in strength and height, but that wasn’t doing her any favors to keep up with her best friend. Catra hopped up onto the railing of the bridge that crossed the water supply stream, turning to look boredly at Adora, tail swishing to keep her balance. 

“I don’t see why you have to  _ run,  _ Catra. It’s just the start of first quarter.”

Catra rolled her eyes. 

“I’m not running, you’re just the world’s slowest person.  _ This _ is what running looks like.”

Catra turned and walked across the rest of the pole before hopping down and breaking out into a sprint. She dropped to all fours to propel herself faster, claws digging into the stone floor with a loud scratching sound. With a drawn out groan, Adora began tearing off after her. She arrived to find Catra had somehow scrambled up onto the sign that arched over the doorway: “Human Reclamation Taskforce” stood out in big, uniform letters. She dropped down as Adora came wheezing and gasping to a stop, foot pads gently pattering against the ground. She had a smug grin on her face that revealed the points of her fangs.

“ _ That _ was running.”

Adora tried to punch her arm but Catra sidestepped without even looking, leaving Adora to stumble slightly. They entered the courtyard and joined the line with the other three cadets in their unit. Lonnie stood with her arms crossed, and Kyle was standing between her and Rogelio, trying to mimic her posture. Rogelio had a hand on his hip, and was grinning down at Kyle’s attempts at being imposing. Adora caught Lonnie giving Catra a dirty look, so she made a point to fling her arm around Catra’s shoulder as she positioned herself between them. Catra complained and half-heartedly tried to push her away, but Adora felt her tail brushing against her leg: a silent thank you, despite her trying to look disgusted at the affection. 

The five of them snapped to attention as the voice of Grizzlor barked out over the yard. Well, four of them did anyway. As usual, Catra put on a disinterested expression and refused to salute, deliberately slouching while the others straightened their backs and looked directly forward. 

“We’re starting off the day with a standard training simulation. Everyone go fetch your equipment, and then return to the starting point.”

There was a clamber to the wall where a rack of weapons stood. Most of them went for crossbows, each grabbing a set of bolts and a set of darts. Shadow Weaver had yet to find a usable cure, so for now the darts were simply filled with colored water. Catra strapped on her own weapon, a belt of claw coverings that she could slide onto her fingers in a heartbeat. She preferred close-combat fighting, and honestly it seemed like her body was made for violence. Weaponizing her was the one thing Shadow Weaver had agreed to, designing special claws that could discharge a liquid on contact. Part of their training was learning to assess when  mutes were to be cured, or when more potent force was necessary, which is why she left the “cure” claws in their sheathes until she needed them. 

The automatic doors to the training room groaned as they opened. Grizzlor paced in front of the squad, hands folded behind his back.

“Y’all know the drill. Your objective is make your way through the course, curing or disposing of the mutes in your way. Your goal is to neutralize the mega at the end of the field. The results of this session will be reported to Dr. Weaver directly, so I expect you all to be on top of your game. Standby until you hear the buzzer.” 

He stepped back to his position away from the doors, before leaning forward to press down a button on the podium. A red light flashed and a loud sound blared out from a speaker set into the wall. Adora winced at the way Catra’s ears folded back at the noise, but her mis-matched eyes remained locked ahead of her as the quintet began to move. 

With a well-practiced rhythm, they split up into their normal roles. Adora led the advance, with Kyle trailing behind her. Lonnie and Rogelio kept their distance, covering them from behind. Catra slipped off somewhere out of sight. Stealth was her specialty, and Adora didn’t expect to see her again until later. The room was mostly silent, only filled with their shuffling footsteps. Then a glimpse of movement off to the right caught Adora’s eye. She held up a hand and Kyle nearly bumped into her as she stopped, crossbow raised, eyes sweeping for any other signs of life. 

The simulated area was a recreation of decrepit buildings, and artificial plants intentionally set around the floor made tripping a very real hazard at all times. Adora heard something clang in what looked like an old gas station. Silently, she signaled her squad forward. Switching her crossbow into her other hand, she pulled out her stun baton, activating it with a hum before shifting her crossbow onto her back. She mouthed a short countdown before kicking the door open and rushing in. 

Her eyes darted around and located her mark just in time to block a metallic blow. The “mutes” they were fighting were actually drones, mechanical creatures programmed to act like living beings. Adora lashed out with her stun baton, jamming the tip against the bot and pressing the button to send an electric charge rippling through it. The bot’s legs twitched as it fell to the ground. Adora pulled a dart from her belt and poked it into one of the sensors, which buzzed and displayed a red X. One down.

She whipped around as she heard fighting outside, dashing out the door to survey the situation. A bot had emerged on the roof of a nearby building, and Lonnie and Rogelio were firing at it and missing spectacularly. Kyle looked like his crossbow was jammed, he wasn’t going to be any help. All training bots had rudimentary sound sensors, so Adora caught its attention with a shout. It scrambled down the side of the building towards her. Adora took up a sturdy stance, ready to take a hit as she waited for her moment to strike. The bot lurched forward, sending a flurry of attacks towards Adora as she stumbled back, barely dodging each one. 

Reaching out a hand, she caught an incoming blow, straining against the metal hinge and trying to overpower the machine. She underestimated its weight and strength however, and her shoes dug into the dirt beneath her as she began to slide backwards.

“I could use a little help here!” She yelled over her shoulder. She glanced back to see Kyle with his crossbow now pointed upwards as he struggled with it. Angrily, he threw it down to the floor. The crossbow discharged with a clang as it hit, sending a bolt whistling upwards. Adora flinched, which gave the bot enough of an advantage to knock her onto her back. Adora glanced up and-

With a crash of ripping metal, the bot deactivated. Unfortunately, this meant its full weight was now trapping her legs. She strained against it, trying to roll it off of her, but its legs were digging into the ground and preventing her from moving it. Lonnie and Rogelio rushed over to haul the bot off her. With their combined strength, they were able to roll the heavy machine over onto its side, freeing Adora. She groaned as she accepted Rogelio’s hand, pulling herself to her feet. Surveying the bot for the reason it had been put out of commission, she saw a jagged cone of rock had split the metal sheet that covered the top of it, completely piercing through and rendering the internal hardware useless. She glanced over at Kyle.

“Uh, did you just drop a stalactite on that bot?”

Kyle looked sheepish.

“I mean, it was an accident…”

Adora smiled kindly towards him.

“Nice job. Pretty sure we get extra points for resourcefulness.”

Kyle stammered, he definitely wasn’t used to receiving praise, but he shyly returned the smile. 

“You good to keep going Adora?” Asked Lonnie. Adora nodded, leaning down to pick up her stun baton from where she had dropped it. Moving once more, they encountered one more target bot, but Rogelio actually managed to land a crossbow hit almost instantly, sending it to the ground. 

As they approached the center of the large cavern, they came across the mangled remains of what used to be a machine. It had been split nearly in half, and Adora could recognize the brutal work of Catra’s claws anywhere. They were nothing like Adora’s nails, that would break against most surfaces. Catra had yet to find a material her claws  _ couldn’t  _ pierce. They rounded a bend, and Adora finally caught sight of Catra. She was sitting in a cocky pose, tail swaying back and forth slightly as she grinned down at them. Adora didn’t actually register what it was she was sitting on for a moment, but then Catra slid down, revealing the crumpled form of the massive bot meant to simulate a mega mute. It had a red X displaying on all its screens. Catra held up her hand and flicked off the claw coverings casually, trying to hide her smugness under an air of casual coolness.

“Took you guys long enough.”

A bell rang out above them, indicating the training session had been completed successfully. Catra took up her position beside Adora, and Adora could almost feel the gidy pride emanating off of her. The squad made their way back to the entrance, chatting amongst themselves. Grizzlor stood at the doors, scribbling on a clipboard. He looked up as they approached. 

“Not bad, cadets. Not your record time, but point-wise it’s one for the books. No casualties either, though Adora, you were a bit off your game today. You’re dismissed, go clean yourselves up.”

Adora’s heart sank, and she let out an exhausted breath when she felt the tip of Catra’s tail following the usual trail along her leg it took when she knew Adora was upset. Sometimes she wished the girl couldn’t read her face like a book, but she couldn’t deny that Catra knew how to comfort her. She glanced down and locked eyes with her, and Catra gave her a look that said  _ we can talk about it later. _ Adora hoped her tired smile was enough to say  _ thank you,  _ even if she couldn’t muster up much enthusiasm. 

As they strolled back home, Adora began to feel the throbbing pain in her legs grow, and she started limping slightly. 

“You okay, Adora?” 

She grimaced, but nodded.

“Yeah. Bot fell on my legs during practice.”

“I’ll take a look at it when we’re home.” 

When they made it back, Catra shooed Adora over to her bunk while she went to grab medical supplies. Adora let out a breath of relief when she was able to take the weight off her legs. Catra returned and sat down next to her. Adora rolled up the legs of her pants to reveal several large bruises forming on her shins. Catra began treating them, rubbing the HRT standard issue ointment over the afflicted area. Adora knew Catra  _ hated  _ getting stuff in her fur, but she didn’t seem bothered as she tended to Adora’s injuries. They were silent for a while, before Catra spoke up.

“Hey, fuck what Grizzlor said by the way.”

“Hmm?”

“Calling you out specifically. You did well. I saw you from afar, only an idiot like you would charge into close quarters to fight blindly and come out victorious. They don’t know how hard you work to stay on top. I’m honestly shocked today was the only day you’ve slept in so late. You’re like a machine, Adora. You need to take it easy sometimes.”

Catra lectured her about this a lot. Sure, she liked working, but that was the opposite of a problem. Shadow Weaver had always insisted her willingness to help anyone and everyone at the expense of her own well-being was a virtue, but Catra had always disagreed, though she doubted there was anything those two  _ could  _ agree on. Adora just hummed a quiet acknowledgment. 

“Try to keep off your legs today. There’s something I want to show you, but you’re going to need to be in climbing condition.”

“What is it?”

“Telling you kind of defeats the purpose of a surprise.”

Adora conceded; that was a fair point. She laid back, trying to relax. She drummed her fingers on the mattress. She tried humming quietly. Then making small noises. Finally Catra looked over at her from the table she had moved to.

“Adora for fucks sake, is it really that hard for you to relax?”

“Yes. Can I move now?”

Catra rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, I don’t know why you need my permission for that.”

Adora sat up. She glanced around for something to do, before her eyes settled on Catra’s bass guitar in the corner. She used to have an acoustic guitar, but the strings were too thin and her claws kept snapping them.  _ Basses are beefier _ , she had said.  _ Plus, I think I prefer the way they can shake a room. Guitars don’t have that kind of power.  _ She hesitated for a moment, knowing Catra had already taken time out of her day to help her. Still, Catra was the one who always told her it was okay to be a little selfish, so she took the step and spoke up.

“Hey Catra?”

Catra gave a gruff  _ hmm _ ? and didn’t look up. 

“Can we… Would you mind grabbing your bass? I wanna sing.”

She expected Catra to say she was busy, or to just sing without her, but instead she looked up and smiled. She couldn’t help but shiver when she looked into those contrasting eyes. 

“Of course, Adora. If I had to solve one more chemistry equation I was gonna lose my fucking mind.” 

She strode over and picked up her instrument, hauling the strap over her shoulder. She clicked the small travel amp in the corner on, and it came to life with a slight buzz. She took a moment to check she was in tune, before moving over to sit down next to Adora.

“Which song do you wanna play?” 

“How about the one you wrote for me when we were kids?”

“Ugh, really? That song is so cheesy. I was like 9 when I wrote it.”

Adora gave her her best puppy dog eyes. 

“I don’t care if it’s cheesy. It’s special to me. It’s something between us that only we have.”

“You’re a sap, d’you know that?”

Still, Catra slid her finger to the first note and began to play a slow, steady rhythm. When she sang, Adora closed her eyes, soaking in the gorgeous sound and almost forgetting she had said she was going to sing as well. She joined in at the next line, doing her best to harmonize, though she knew her voice could never match the rich beauty of Catra’s.

“Danger surrounds us

But won’t bring us down.

We’re on the edge of greatness

Turning darkness to light 

We’re right beside you

Ready to fight!”

Adora let Catra hit the high during the next line, before continuing on with her.

“We’re gonna win in the end!!

We must be strong!

And we must be brave!

We gotta find every bit of strength

That we have and never let it go!”

  
Adora began to smile as they continued singing together.

”We’re bound to this struggle

With mighty sword and flame

We’ll never fail you

When you call our name.

Together we’ll be heroes

Strong as the steel we carry 

We rise like the sun!

We must be strong

And we must be brave

We’re gonna reach inside

Stand together and fight

Never let it go!

We must be strong...”

Catra looked up, blushing slightly.

“Hey Adora…”

Adora gulped, unsure of why there was suddenly a very tense atmosphere. 

“Yes?” She managed to squeak out. 

Catra was staring her in the eyes, and Adora felt like she couldn’t breathe, not daring to look away despite the rising heat in her chest. Catra inhaled sharply, though, and broke eye contact, looking at the floor.

“N-nevermind. Let’s make some lunch.”

Adora didn’t know why she felt a sudden rush of disappointment come over her, but she couldn't help it. She felt like she was missing out on something, but had no idea what that something could be. She shakily nodded.

“Sure.”

She moved to rise, but Catra rested a hand on her shoulder to stop her. 

“Nope. You stay there, I’ll cook.”

Adora slumped back and folded her arms.

“Fine.”

Catra gave her a quick wink before returning her bass to its stand and moving into the kitchen to start preparing their food. 


End file.
